Cedar and Joan
by KarouYamisaki
Summary: Joan is annoyed with Cedar and the lack of quality of herbs he brings her. So he decides to bring her out in the woods, only it doesn't totally go as planned...


Well first Hunger Games story, for Novel class due Monday, needed to be a prequel, and this is what came of it. Posting it online to see what others think of it. I have no idea what Mr/Mrs Everdeens first names are or Mr. Hawthrones name, so I made them up...Obviously Joan and River are from Doctor Who while Cedar was the first name that popped up in my head.

Not Beta'd sorry she's busy.

Disclaimer:...I own nothing.

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><p><span>Cedar and Joan<span>

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><p>They first met in school, but they were never frineds. She lived in the merchant section of town while he lived in the seam. They didn't speak until the first time he was injured in the mines he was brought to the apothacarys shop instead of the doctor.s. He was one of a few miners who had gotten into trouble with a new shaft, involving breaking a light and nearly collapsing the shaft.<p>

Joan known to be shy and quiet was the one who treated his injuries, he fell for her because of the look she got on her face when she was dillengently at work helping others. It was different to how he saw her at school and around town. Shy and untalkitive , and since Maysliee death in the Hunger Games she ressased even more to herself.

Cedar was known around district twelve for his singing, many refered him to being a canary from the coalmines. His voice had caught many a girls heart in the Seam and the Merchants, but he paid no interest. Everyday he visited the shop belonging to one certain girls days after work he would go out in the woods and collect the herbs she had shown him in her book. And the next morning he would bring her the herbs he collected, and she would sort through them. She had grown to love hearing his voice in the morning singing some folksy tune as he came into the shop. The thing she hated about it was that he was terrible at bringing quality herbs to her.

She narrowed her eyes when he came through the door, ignoring the impulse to grin as he came through the door.

Groaning she stared at the plants he had brought for her, it would take all morning to sort through these and most likely half of them would get thrown out.

"Well If I'm so terriable at finding herbs why don't you come out into the woods with me and make sure I get it right?" He asked cheekliy.

A rush of color exploded over her cheeks

Angery "Fine, I'll go with you. Only to make sure you bring me quality herbs and not those worthless plants you keep bringing me."

"Ok then, meet me by the fence in the meadow in about an hour." Cedar smiled.

When he approched the fence and hour later she was waiting for him. Wearing an older dress of hers and a bag slung over her shoulder she was ready to go out into the woods.

"I wasn't expecting you to He crawled under the fence first, once through he lifted the edge of the fence up so Joan could get through. She rolled under protecting her face, once on the otherside he helped her up and she bushed herself off.

Taking her hand he helped her over the harder terrian in the woods, stopping to grab his bow and quiver from a log before going any deeper.

They stopped next to the lake to catalouge the plants, she would explain it's effects while he drew the plant in the book. When he finished a drawing she would write in where to find it and when it's best to harvest it while he tried his hand at fishing. This calm peace was shattered with the howling of wild dogs.

"HELP ME!" A male voice called

Cedar and Joan turned to the voice, seeing a man with black hair running along the lake front towards them a pair of wild dogs chasing him. Joan screamed and stood up ready to run away, looking over her shoulder to see Cedar run back to his bow and quiver quickly pulling out an arrow and plaing it on his bow. He took aim and fired, hitting one of the dogs in the chest it fell in the arrow killing it. Cedar went for another arrow when River tripped, the dog jumped on him and went for his throat. The fallen man brought his arm up to defend himself, the dog bit into his arm iracting a cry from the unknown man

Cedar shot again hitting the other dog in the shoulder, catching it's attention. Growling it let go of the mans arm and came charing towards Joan. The next shot already loaded on his bow he shot the next arrow hitting it in the neck, killing it.

Joan ran to the fallen man before Cedar could stop her, he ran after her as the fallen man staggerd to his feet. The man gasping and holding his bleeding arm was no other then River Hawthrone.

"Damn it Hawthrone!" Cedar swore "What were you doing?"

River glared at Cedar "I could ask you the same thing Everdeen!"

Joan slapped them both "Both of you shut up, we are all out here illgally and he has a bite wound. Who cares!" She screamed sending both men into wide-eyed silence. "Now Cedar get the hearbs we gathered earlier."

Cedar sniffed "Fine." he turned tail and went back to the abondoned pack.

Joan turned her attention to Rivers arm and inspected it "It looks like it didn't get to close to an artery, but I'll have to clean it off to know the extent of the damage." She let go of his arm and bent down to grab the hem of her skirt and ripped off strips. Making him sit down by the lake edge she dipped the strips into the water, Cedar returned with her pack and his quiver and bow, standing at the ready for anymore wild dogs.

"Ow! Watch it!" River snapped

"Shut up Hawthorne, don't be such a child." Joan snapped back, her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail as she worked on cleaning the bite on his arm.

Cedar who was standing nearby standing watch as Joan cleaned out the bite wound River sustained from a wild dog that was now dead form an arrow through it's neck. Once the wound was cleaned she applied some leaves to the bite marks, then using a strip of her dress she wrapped the wound holding the leaves in place.

"That should stay until we can get back then I can stitch it up." She informed him, taking Cedars hand as he helped her up. She brushed off the dirt from her dress and Cedar handed her the bag with the herbs in it helping river stand up as well before they headed back to the District.

It was well past sunset when they returned to the district, the men lifting the fence up for Joan to crawl under before they followed suit.

They took River to be treated first, Hazelle was not pleased that her husband was injured and that their son had a cold. Little Gale was given some honeycomb to suck on to sooth his sore throat while he was sitting on the floor. His little grey eyes watching as Joan took a needle out of a boiling pot of water and threaded it. Hazelle and Joan worked as a team one cleaning and appiling aniseptic and the other stitching his skin togather.

Cedar didn't know what to do with himself until Gale yawned, the poor little guy up later then he usually was. Cedar glanced back to the kitchen where Hazelle currently was busy with Joan to stitch up Rivers bite wound. He picked up the little guy and held him to his shoulder, rocking him and humming. Gale accepted it, being tired and given attetntion he layed his head on Cedars shoulder and shut his eyes.

Later after River was patched up and put to sleep Cedar gave Gale back to Hazelle and wished her goodnight. Cedar met Joan at the door, the young woman was wearing a small smile on her face.

Joan smiled softly "Your going to be a great father one day."

He smiled back "Maybe." He gave Gale one last look, he was asleep with his thumb in his mouth while resting against his mothers shoulder.

He walked her back to her house In the merchant section of the district in silence, they stopped in front of the shop.

"Sorry that today turned out the way it did." He said scratching the back of his head in embrassment.

Joan nodded "Yeah but there's one good thing that came out of it."

Cedar intriged asked "And what would that be."

Raising an eyebrow she glanced up at him "You'll stop bring me worthless plants."

"Oh, I thought it was my amazing shooting skills." He repiled.

She chuckled shaking her head "To bad." She "Goodnight Cedar"

"Goodnight Joan."

"Marry Me?" He asked

She turned and smiled "Maybe."

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><p>R&amp;R<p> 


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